Secondary battery.



No. 852,424. PATENTED MAY 7, 1907. T. A. EDISON.

SECONDARY BATTERY.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Witnesses: In van for No. 852,424. PATBNTED MAY 7', 1907. T. A. EDISON.

SECONDARY BATTERY.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1902.

Q 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

v a" 73mm ,1 \mi Witnesses: Inventor Attorneys PATENTED MAY 7, 1907.

T. A. EDISON.

SECONDARY BATTERY.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2a, 1002.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Witnessasi Inventor y Q .ZZMW

d I M g 9 /I I l W&\ Attornevs UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTGE.

THOMAS A. EDISON, OF LLEWELLYN PARK, ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO EDISON STORAGE BATTERY COMPANY, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SECONDARY BATTERY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1907.

Application filed November 28, 1902. Serial No. 133,112.

To .Qlfwhom [it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Trrouas A. Emsox, a citizen of thedriited States, residing at Llewellyn Park, range, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in I Storage Batteries, of which the following is a description. U

My invention relates to in'iprovements in storage batteries, and particularly to the mechanical details of construction thereof.

While the present improvements have been designed specially for use in connection with storage batteries of the type invented.

by me wherein' insolublc active materials are employed in an alkaline electrolyte, it will be understood that the improvements are applicable for use with storage batteries of other types. 4

My objects generally are to simplify the mechanical construction, improve the overation, and increase the eificiency of storage batteries, particularly of my improved type.

To this end the improvements relate, first, to a new containing vessel or can, which, while being light in weight, is extremely strong and rigid; second, to an improved manner of supporting theconductors which extend through the cover and are connected within the can to corresponding plates, whereby any leakage of gas or creeping of the solution around said comluctors is prevented, while at the same time the arrangement is such that the several plates can be adjusted longitudinally in the can so as to be locked from vertical movement; third, to improvements in the devices for mechanically separating and electrically insulating the plates from one another; fourth, to improvements in the bottom support for sustaining the lates and at the same time electrically insuliiting them from each other; and finally, to details of construction by which the general efficiency of the device is improved, and all of which will be more fully hereinafter dc- .scribod and claimed.

' In order that the invention may be better umlerstood, attention is directed to the ,accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a plan View of the complete ell in its preferred form Fig. 2 a horizontal sec-. tion on thc line (I (L of Fig. 3, showing an improved separator for mechanically separating the plates; Fig. 3 a vertical sectionalvicw on the hneb-J of Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 a section on the line c-c of Fig. 3, showing the preferred form of insulating support for the plates.

In all of the above views corresponding parts are represented by the same numerals of reference.

The can 1 is generally rectangular, as shown, being formed preferably of very thin sheet steel which hasbecn carefully nickellated so as to prevent oxidation, particuliirly in an alkaline solution. ()bviouslv other metals than stccl can be employed if carefully nickelplatml, but steel is preferable owing to its chcapncss and rigidity and to the fact. that the nickelplatml film can be welded to the steel, as I describe in U. S. Patent No. 734,522, granted July .28, 1903. The bottom 2, it will be noted, is secured in place by an interlocking joint so as to make a watertight joint even if solder is not used. This joint may, however, be soldered on the outside, and in some instances this may be desirable. All joints are preferably subjcctcd to hydraulic pressure so as to be extremely tight.

The top 3 is provided with an upturned flange 4 having a return flange 5 so as to rcceivc the upper end of lhc can. After the top has been placed in position, solder may be applied to the joint. between the bottom of the flange and the upper end of the can so as to make a perfectly tight joint. By employing a top of this character, the can is strengthened at its upper end from both expanding and compr essing strains, so that the joint will at all times be perfectly airtight. This is an important, practical consideration,

because i have found in practice that users of batteries ordinarily "ras the cans at the u v1 h per ends, tending to collapse the sides, and if ordlnary tops were used, the strain so imposed would frcqucntly tend to open up the seams bctwcen the top and thccan. All four sides of the can are preferably formed with corrugations (i struck out of the metal in the form of connected waves, as shown, by means of suitablc dies. The corrugations are discontinuous or interruptml, so that they do not extend in a continuous line around the can. The corrugations are interrupted at the corners of the can (see Figs. 2 and 3) loo ' walls of the can. By corrugating the gen i3 strengt one 3 I lyte. This feature of concavin of adjacent plates into dangerous -w1th one another to increase the of short-circuiting when they are p whereby panels oi corru ations entirely surrounded y plane meta are formed in the this way, it -is material ainst compressing and bulging strains, and a l possibility of distortion thereof by a transverse yielding of the corrugations is revented, while at the same time the cost 0 the can is only very slightly increased, and its weight can be reduced to a minimum.

The Igrids 7 are substantially like those which have already described in prior patents, and carry a plurality of pockets 8 containing the active material, said pockets being crim d in position underplressure. The grids an pockets comprising t e entire plate are made as heretofore of carefully nickelplated steel, the nickelplated coating being preferably welded to the steel inan atmosphere of h drogen gas. The pockets 8 correspond wit those previously patented by me, with the exception that when the plate is first made the, sides of the pockets are concaved as shown, so that when any'swelling of the active material takes place, the bulging or. the pockets will not progress materially beyond a strai ht line. not concaved; have'found in practice that excessive bulging tends tobring the pockets proximity possibility need close together to save-using anexcess of electroof a storage battery late is escribedand claimed in .Letters about No. 723,449,

' granted tome on March 24, 1903.

' I find in practice that the electrolytically active nickel swells 0r bulges to a mum greater extent than weight is the important consideration it is desirable to make the pockets or reoe tacles for containing the nickel of thicker s cet metal than those for the iron.

, thick as .005 of an inch.

For instance, the pockets for receiving the nickel may be made of sheet steel .005 of an inch in thickness, while for the iron the sheet steel may be as thin as .003 of an inch. Where lightnessis not important, considerably thicker sheet steel may be used (owing to its cheapness as compared to extremely thin material), in which case the pockets for receiving the nickel may be made of sheet steel as thick its .01 of an inch, and for receiving the iron as It is not desirable in practice to make the pockets or receptacles for receiving the nickel any thinner than .005 of an inch, as it is important that the metal should be strong enough to efl'ectively resist excessive bulging.

Corresponding plates of the hatteryare connected together and are mounted proper conductor 10 for the external circuit. The plates of each set are separated by washers If the pockets are.

the pocketstheiron, and where ()n 1 bolts 9 whichpass also through the eye of a seas-2e spring washer 13 of ordinary construction nut and re'ventin accidental loosening thereof. ach con uctor 10 is formed with a shoulder 14, above which is received a hard rubber washer 15. Bearin ,on this washer is a smaller hard rubber was or 16 vertically movable in the metal sleevei'? secured in the top 3, said sleeve bein formed with a shoulder 1% at its lower em between the washers 15 and i6, and which shoulder limits the downward movement of the .waaher 16. Above the washer 16 in the sleeve 17 is an elastic packing 19 made preferably of soft rubber; and on top of this packing is a thin disk 20 made referably of hard rubber.- Bearing on the isk 20 is the lower end of a rubber nut '21 which engages threads in the upper on d of thesleeve 17, so that by screwing downwardly on said nut the packingltl can be compressed tightly around the conductor 10 to make a perfectly tight joint, while at the same time all of the plates in the set will be forcd downward to engage them tightly with the insulating bottom su port to prevent lon tudinal movement 0 said plates inuse. he sleeve -l7 is secured in position by upsetting the metal of the. top 3 to form a head .22 engaging a recess 23 in said sleeve, thus making a very tigl'it,-substantial, durable and cheap joint, which requires no solder whatever, although it maybe used. The hard rubber nut 21 1s provided'with an gages the correspondingly sha ed portion 25 of a terminal 26, the latter tting over the tapered outer end of the conductor 10 and being held in place by a nut 27 which is locked from rotation by a split washer .28, as shown. By means of this construction the conductor 10 will not only be secured in position in such a way as to prevent creeping the correspond ng conductor for the other -plates.

At their bottom a suitable insulating support the preferred construction of which is indicated in Figs. 3 aud t, said support comprisingthe parallel bars 29 having saw slots in their up er faces as shown, and made essentially U- aped'in cross section, with 'the shallower bars 30 connecting the same, the whole being made of one piece and preferably of hard rubber. The several plates are forced ti ward to engage the slots in this insulating support by the adjusting effect of the nut 21, so that the plates are prevented from longitudinal movement. The insulating bars 29 ex tend transversely to the plates, and the,con-.- necting bars 30 are made purposely shal lower to prevent the accumulation 01 active oft-hesolution around the same, but will attho same time -1 e efl'ectively insulated from.

the plates are received on.

y nuts 12, a hardene split being employed on each bolt for locking the heiragonal recess 24 therein, with which enhtly downmaterial thereon which would otherwise tend to short-circuit the plates. In order to properly space the electr ode plates at the sides to prevent them from accidentally short-circuiting the cell, 1 make use of spacing bars lformed with slots 32 therein, with which the electrode plates engage. These bars are connected together by vertical shallower bars 33, the whole being preferably cast of hard rubber in one piece. Preferably the bottom 2 of the can is provided with a number of struck-up bosses 34 forming sockets or recesses on the under side of the cell, in order that the latter may be properly supported in a suitable tray or crate.

In order to prevent the possibility of shortcirciiits between the plates by coming accidentally in contact with the side of the can, I preferably line the can on the interior with a sheet 35 of hard rubber, and in order to prevent theplates from engaging one another, separatingrods or bars 36, essentially star-shaper'i in cross-section, may be utilized, as shown in Fig. 2, said bars being mounted in the vertical channels formed between adj acent pockets, so that each bar engages the corners of four adjacent pockets, as shown;

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows l. [n a storage battery, a rectangular receptacle or can one or more of whose walls are provided with panels of transverse corrugations entirely surrounded by plane metal, substantially as set forth.

.2. In a storage battery, a rectangular receptacle or can one or more of whose walls are provided with panels of transverse corrugations in the form of connected waves, said panels being surrounded by plane metal,

substantially as set forth.

3. In a storage battery, the combination of a can, a plurality of plates therein, an -insulating support for the bottom edges of said plates and means which exert a compressing stress upon said plates in a vertical direction, substantially as set forth.

4. In a storage battery, the combination of a can, a plurality of plates therein, an insulating sup ort for the bottom edges of said plates and adjustable means for exerting any desired compressing stress upon said plates in a} vertical direction, substantially as set fort 1.

5. In a storage battery, the combination of a can, a plurality of plates therein, an insulating support for the. bottom edges of said plates and adjustable means co-operating with the can for exerting anydesired compressing stress upon the plates in a vertical direction, substantially as set forth.

6. In a storage battery, the combination of a can, a plurality of plates therein, an insulating su iport for the bottom edges of said plates, an adjustable means coi'ipcrating with the can and electrically insulated therefrom for applying any desired downward pressure upon said plates, substantially as set forth.

7. In a storage battery, the combination of a can having a threaded opening, a lurality of plates, a conductor connectc to said plates and extending through said opening, a washer surrounding the conductor in the opening and a nut threaded into the opening and engaging the washer to expand it diametrically, substantially as set forth.

8. in a storage battery, the combination of a can, a plu'ralityof plates therein, a conductor connected to said plates and extending through the to of the can, a packing surrounding said com uctor, and means for compressing said packing and simultaneously pressing the plates downward, substantially .as set torth.

9. In a storage battery, the combination of a can, a plurality of plates therein, a condue-tor connected to said plates and extending through the to of the can, a packing surrounding said conductor, a nut for compressing said packing, and a terminal engaging said conductor and interlocking the said nut tial y as set forth.

10. in a storage battery, the combination of a can, a series of plates in said can, a series of insulating bars supporting the plates and extending transwrsely thereto, and adjustable means for exerting a com )rcssing stress upon said plates in a vertical direction, sub stantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 13th day of Novr. 1902.

'lllOS. A. IGlHSON.

Witnesses:

FRANK li. [)Ynn, J. l. ltmvoomu.

to prevent rotation of the latter, substan- IOC 

